Devour
by j3swimmer
Summary: Sequel to The Rise of Emrys, but can be read alone. Merlin, Camelot's new Court Sorcerer, stumbles into a trap when he tries to assist a Druid Tribe in the East. Alone, and cut off from his powers, he has no way to fight back against Morgana and her new plan to take his magic and destroy all he holds dear. Rated M for cannibalism, gore, and general creepiness.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello...**_  
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**I lied. I feel like such a bad Author, but this idea happened and it needed to be written, like now. I promise that after this I will actually stick to the schedule I promised I would on my profile. **

**So, what you need to know if you didn't read The Rise of Emrys, which is totally fine. These are rather different story types, so I get if this attracts a slightly different audience. Morgana, Morgause, and Mordred took over Camelot, and blackmail Merlin into serving them by threatening his friends safety. They are pretty mean, and each use their new powers to punish Merlin for all the things they blame him and Arthur for. Eventually, Merlin and co. break free, and fight back. They beat Morgana and co., but Arthur is almost killed by Morgause in the process. Merlin and Kilgarrah are able to save him though, and Arthur takes his place on the throne, with Merlin as his court sorcerer. I think that is a good enough summary to prepare you for this fic...**

**Ummm, a few last things. I wrote this all together, instead of in chapters, so it will be broken up into days. I think this should be slightly helpful as Merlin is pretty out of it for a good portion of this story, and him falling asleep and waking up definitely doesn't mean it is a new day. I will be uploading the rest as soon as I finish editing it, so it should all be up by the end of today. On that note, no one else is editing this as I am slightly ashamed of how dark I got. This will also be the only long author's note, so if you get through this you won't have to deal with any others. **

**This is still very much a Merthur fic, but there will be no written sexy times. just implied sexy times. Sorry, I have very little knowledge of the sexy times. I also have very little knowledge of medicine. In my defense, I kind of doubt Morgana does either, so there. But I should stop talking. Just, I would love to know what people think of my darker side, so reviews are greatly appreciated. And I don't own Merlin. All the characters should thank their lucky stars that this is true.**

_Emrys~_

_We need your help. Our people are starving. The summer was harsh for our small camp, draught destroyed our crops and we will not have enough to survive the winter. As many of our people who had to run during the purge return to us, we cannot cope with the number of mouths to feed and we find ourselves in need of your skills and resources as court sorcerer to Camelot. Please, find it in your heart to take pity on us, and send help to the valley past the forest of Ascetir. Our lives are in your hands._

_Koun of the Eastern Druids_

Arthur reread the letter for what felt like the fiftieth time. Merlin had been receiving letters like this since he had been appointed court sorcerer. Most of them weren't quite this desperate, more people asking for cures for strange illnesses, help repairing their homes, or the millions requesting to be the students of the "great Emrys." Although he did the best he could to answer each senders request, Merlin had turned each of the prospective students down, telling them he didn't believe himself to know nearly enough to teach anyone. But, with the constant pressure, Arthur was beginning to hope that he might at least take one apprentice to get the rest of the magical community of his back.

Arthur wasn't sure why, but something just felt off about this letter. Maybe it was because he and Merlin had gone and met with many druid tribes after they repaired the damage left by the battle with Morgana, and there had been no mention of a leader named Koun, or even a tribe from the east, or perhaps it was just the way it was written. There was no way Merlin, with his abnormally large heart, would be able to turn down this plea for help. Arthur had considered not showing it to him, and sending a few knights out with supplies to the area these druids were supposedly in desperate need of help, so he could keep Merlin safe in Camelot. Plus, that way he wouldn't have to greet the dignitaries from the Isle of Mora by himself. The past few months Camelot had been plagued by nobles coming to pay their respects to his father and congratulate him on his rise to power. Even though the reasons they gave were honorable, Arthur was getting tired of the constant visitors and had wondered how many of them were genuinely expressing their feelings and how many were coming for show or to judge the strength of the young king for themselves. Although Arthur was happy to have his kingdom back, being king got quite tiring, and he caught himself longing for the time he had spent as simply prince, when he could spend days out hunting, instead of having to stay inside and judge garland competitions, speak with stuck up courtiers, and write speeches.

In the end, he knew he would show Merlin. Not because he decided the letter was genuine, but because Merlin and he had made a promise to never lie or hide anything from each other again. They hadn't been able to officially marry as the laws did not allow it, but they had gone out to the lake they had stood by after the celebration, exchanged a list of promises and two gorgeous rings. It had been more beautiful than any wedding Arthur could have ever hoped for, and Arthur knew he couldn't go back on any of the things he had promised to Merlin at that lake, underneath the moon and stars. He fiddled with the ring Merlin had given him, and began to read the letter again, as he waited for Merlin to return from his trip to the lower town. Merlin went down to visit the people, escorted by one of Arthur's most trusted knights, of course, almost every day. He would entertain children with tricks, heal those with injuries, and help in whatever way he could. Arthur loved to join him on his trips, where he would watch as Merlin did everything he could to make his people happy, but Arthur often needed to stay in the castle and attempt to keep the kingdom running, so he was forced to remain behind as his love went out to be with the people.

As he unfolded the letter to read it again, searching for some hint at its authenticity, or lack thereof, two slim arms curved around his shoulders, pulling him back against the chair.

"What's the matter?" Merlin asked, nuzzling against the back of Arthur's head.

"Nothing. When did you get back?" Arthur said, leaning back into Merlin's embrace.

"Not too long ago. I snuck in while you were worrying about that paper there. Now, what's made you so distracted you didn't hear me enter with all your amazing hunting skills?"

Arthur's face scrunched up as he handed Merlin the letter, slightly reluctantly. He stood from his chair and turned so he could watch as Merlin read what Koun had written. He watched as Merlin's smile fell from his face, and his eyebrows knotted together in a look of concern. Arthur guided Merlin back towards their bed, where they both sat. Merlin looked up from the letter and said, "I have to help them Arthur. Too many druids have died because of Camelot. I must do everything in my powers to make sure no more of their people are harmed."

"I know Merlin." Arthur said, standing so he could pace while he continued talking, "Something just doesn't feel right to me. What if this is some type of trap? None of the druids we met said anything about these eastern druids, and I have traveled to those lands, never once seeing another living soul. We could send knights with the food these people claim they need, but I don't want you getting hurt."

"Arthur, I will be fine." Merlin said, pulling Arthur back to the bed and stop his nervous pacing. "Do you forget who I am? They wouldn't be able to hurt me even if they wanted to. And you can't just send knights. They asked me, what if they need something more than food that only I can provide? What if they were attacked by knights in the past and want to know they will not be harmed for who they are? I am strong, Arthur. You don't have to worry about me so much. I can leave in the morning, take some of the food Camelot has stored, I know there is more than enough to last the winter, and ride to meet these Druids. I would be back within the week." Merlin ended with a smile. Somehow, this didn't reassure Arthur as much as he knew it should.

"Alright, Merlin." Arthur said, still slightly hesitant, "But you will not be going alone. I will send a group of knights with you. I would accompany you as well, but someone needs to stay and welcome King Henry of Mora. Just promise me you will be careful."

"I always am, Arthur. There is no need to worry. I will be back before you miss me."

"That would be impossible, Merlin. I find it quite difficult to go an afternoon without you, I don't even want to think about what a week would be like." Arthur said, pulling Merlin into a tight hug.

"Still not able to function without me, _King_ Arthur? You really are going to have to learn how to dress yourself without my help some time soon." Merlin teased.

"And you're going to have to learn how to show your king the respect he deserves." Arthur said, trying to keep his voice harsh as a smile spread across his features, as he pulled Merlin down so he was lying on the bed, Arthur straddling him.

"Hmmm, I just don't see that happening any time soon." Merlin said, laughing. "And we really should get down to dinner soon. I wouldn't want to make Gwen angry, or hungry, or both." Merlin said, a look of horror crossing his face. Gwen and Lancelot had gotten married a few months after Arthur had been crowned king. After another season had passed, Gwen had gone to Gaius, feeling queasy, and had learned that she was pregnant. Now, about four months after that, her belly had begun to swell and she was slightly more moody than she was normally. Arthur understood Merlin's fear of the pregnant woman, and delaying dinner could very well insight her wrath.

"You're right." Arthur said with a sigh, "We should really head down."

"You know, you're going to have to get off me if you need me to help you change for dinner." Merlin said, gently pushing Arthur so he could move off the bed and over to the wardrobe that now held both of their clothes. Arthur had insisted on commissioning a tailor to completely redesign Merlin's look. Arthur was pretty certain it had been one of his best decisions as King, even if Merlin had complained about it being too much, insisting he was fine with his old, threadbare clothes. But, he had eventually given in, and had admitted that the new deep blue and bright red tunics made from the finest materials, that fit him so much better than his baggy shirts, and the tight, black trousers that showed just how skinny his long legs were really were much more comfortable than his old clothes. Arthur had also bought Merlin a couple of new coats and cloaks, seeing as Merlin never seemed to be able to keep himself warm. Now that winter was approaching, Merlin was rarely seen anywhere without one of the long, dark trench coats, it's silver fastenings locked tightly together to keep his skinny body warm in the drafty castle and cold streets. Arthur watched silently from the bed as Merlin undressed and pulled on a clean set of clothes in preparation for dinner. He couldn't help but admire the beautiful, pale body of his love. Anger stirred in him as Merlin removed his shirt and Arthur saw all the marks that Morgause had left on the man who held his heart. He had seen them before, of course, but that didn't stop him from wanting to find the sorceress and rip her apart each time he saw them. Once Merlin was fully dressed, he pulled Arthur up from the bed, saying, "Come on Arthur, It's almost six bells. If we don't head down soon, Gwen will have our heads!"

"Alright, Alright I'm coming." Arthur said, rolling off the bed lazily. He moved over to the wardrobe where Merlin had pulled out one of his clean, red tunics. He grabbed it from Merlin, wanting to prove that he could dress himself, thank you very much. He proceeded to do just that while Merlin watched, grinning at him. When he was done, Arthur put his hands on his hips and said, "See, _Mer_lin, I am completely capable of dressing myself."

Merlin smiled and walked behind Arthur, and pulled down his shirt so it was covering his entire back, and replied with a chuckle, "Of course you are Sire. Now shall we head down?"

Arthur just glared at him before grabbing Merlin's hand and pulling him down to the dining hall.

* * *

Dinner had been a rambunctious affair, as always. Ever since they had retaken the castle, he had never eaten alone, as Merlin had decided it would be fun to have all their friends eat with them in the large dining hall. It was so different from the quiet, proper dinners he had shared with his father and Morgana, and he had to admit he liked this way much better. Leon, who had taken over Arthur's duties as first knight of Camelot, made sure that all of them had the dinner hour off from guarding the walls of the kingdom, so they could all join together for the meal. Arthur couldn't help but feel slightly sad though, as he realized this would be the last time Merlin would eat with them before he left to visit these druids who apparently needed his help so desperately. After they were done eating, Arthur told the others of the letter, and Merlin's desire to go to them. He wished he could send more of his closest knights with Merlin, but seeing as Lancelot and Elyan would not want to leave Gwen in her current state, and Leon and Percival had to stay behind and keep the kingdom safe, the only one he could really spare was Gwaine. Gwaine saluted and pulled Merlin into a half hug, and told Arthur he would keep the warlock safe on the journey. Merlin just laughed, clearly glad he would have Gwaine's company on the trip. Arthur also told Leon to organize a troop as large as he could spare to accompany the two on their journey. Arthur then dismissed them, and watched as Leon went down to decide who would be sent with Merlin, while Merlin, Gwaine, and Percival went down to Camelot's stores to gather some of the excess and pack it into a cart that Merlin would be able to take with him. Arthur went back up to his chambers and worried about the strange nagging sensation he had every time he thought about the letter.


	2. Chapter 2

Day 2

Merlin left early in the morning. They had prepared everything for the journey the night before, so all that was left was to saddle up the horses, give Arthur a farewell kiss, and reassure him that everything would be fine. After all, he was Emrys, and he would have some of the best knights in the land with him. Arthur still looked quite nervous as he watched Merlin ride away from the steps of the castle, a small cart filled with foods and other supplies following him out of the gates of Camelot.

It was a lovely day, cool, but the sun was still shining, and with his new coat Merlin could barely feel the cold. He spent most of the ride with Gwaine, joking about taverns and Arthur and whatever other subject the knight brought up. It wasn't until they reached the river Balor that Merlin began to wonder if Arthur's worries had been warranted. The surrounding woods had gone silent, and Merlin couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. Merlin had been about to ask Gwaine if he noticed the change when it happened. What looked like about forty men dressed completely in black sprung from the woods, moving like smoke. They grabbed each of the knights, pulling them from their mounts, leaving only Merlin still seated, looking for a target he could send a wave of energy towards. But, each time he thought he was aiming at one of the attacking soldiers, a knight of Camelot would be pulled to the position he had been about to blast. He tried to calm his horse as the poor beast started to buck in fear as it was surrounded by the chaos of battle. When the motion around him stopped and his horse finally calmed, Merlin could see that each of the men who had been sent with him was being held by one of the men dressed in black. Gwaine had two. All the horses they had been riding were either long gone or still struggling to regain their footing. Merlin's gaze flickered over all the men who surrounded him, pausing briefly on Gwaine, who shouted out, "Run, Merlin!" before one of the men holding him whacked him across the back of his head, causing him to slump in the arms of the two men. Part of Merlin wanted to obey his friend, and race from the path, run back to Arthur who would send out troops and fix this whole mess. But, that part was crushed by the part that knew if he left all these men were as good as dead. Including Gwaine. He couldn't abandon his people, his friends, so he stayed still, waiting for the attackers to make their next move.

As he waited, Merlin noticed that all of the men dressed in black's eyes burned red. They reminded Merlin of Arthur's eyes when he had been enchanted by Sophia. He had been staring into the eyes of one of the attackers, wondering if there was some way he could break whatever enchantment that seemed to be controlling them, when he heard a voice behind him. A voice that made his blood freeze with fear and boil with hatred all at the same time. A voice that made his stomach clench in guilt, a voice that he hadn't heard since the day Arthur had almost died.

"Hello Merlin, fancy meeting you out here." Morgana said, her voice raised in victory.

"What are you doing here, Morgana?" Merlin said, turning his horse slowly to face the sorceress.

"I would have thought that was rather obvious, seeing the position you are in. I've heard you've moved up in the world. Court sorcerer, now, is it? You must be so happy." Morgana finished with a scowl.

"Let them go, Morgana." Merlin said, trying to sound calm. "It's me you want, not them."

"I suppose you are right. How about this, Merlin? You get off your horse, and come over here, without making any attempts to attack me or my men, and I will let all of these little knights run back to Arthur."

Merlin eyed her suspiciously. He was certain he couldn't trust her, but it didn't look like there would be too many other options if he wanted to get the knights out of this alive. His gaze flickered around the troops again, struggling against the men who held them back, hesitating briefly on Gwaine's unconscious form, before he turned back to Morgana.

"Do you swear that they will all be freed if I do as you say? None of them will be harmed?"

"Yes, Merlin. I swear on my mother's grave that if you dismount and walk over here calmly that all of these men will be set free, without any more harm befalling them here."

"Alright." Merlin said, dismounting, "Just let me help Gwaine onto my horse first."

"If you must." Morgana said, with a gesture of her hand. The two men holding Gwaine brought him over to Merlin's horse. After Gwaine was secured in the saddle, Merlin moved to the horse's head, and whispered, "_æþrýtnes hine hyrcg __æt Camelot. Hlytas bæc. Hlytas ástyntan for __ácumendlicnes. Rád!"_

The horse began to pace, ready to obey his orders, but unable to as his path was currently blocked by the soldiers. Merlin held his head high, squeezed his eyes shut to suppress the fears he felt, before he started to walk towards Morgana. About half way between Morgana and his horse, he stopped, turned towards one of the knights and said, "Get back to Camelot. Tell Arthur what happened, and that… that I am sorry. And I love him always."

"Hurry up Merlin!" Morgana shouted. "If you take much longer, one of my men's blades might just slip!"

Merlin closed his eyes once more, trying to regain his composure, before he continued walking, trying to look as regal as he could. When he was standing a foot in front of Morgana, he summoned up all his courage, and said in his best imitation of Arthur's 'follow my orders, I'm the king' voice, "Let them go, Morgana."

"Not quite yet." Morgana said, bending down to rummage in a bag at her feet. When she stood again, Merlin saw she was holding a band of dark metal. "Kneel, Merlin, if you want them unharmed."

Merlin scowled at her, before bending to her will. Once he was positioned at her feet, Morgana bent over, whispered "_ætýnan._" The band of metal shimmered, before one part broke, and the circle became two half-circles, attached at a hinge, as Morgana brought the cold metal to Merlin's neck. At the first touch, Merlin felt a strange nausea rush through him. There was something wrong with that metal. He was breathing in short, sharp puffs from his nose, trying to lean as far away from the metal as possible which was becoming difficult as Morgana began to close the circle. When the two sides connected behind Merlin's head, Morgana whispered, "_beclýse._"

When the hiss of the last s in the word faded, Merlin felt the band lock behind his head, and a terrible pain swept through him. It felt as if a huge part of him was being crushed, suffocated. He reached up instinctively, trying to pull the band away from his skin, but it was to no avail. His panic only lasted a moment though, before darkness swept over him, and he fell to the ground.

* * *

Merlin almost wished he had remained unaware when he woke next. He was lying on the forest floor, pine needles and small sticks poking into his face. In some unprecedented act of kindness, Morgana had left his coat on, so at least he wasn't too cold. His shoulders ached though, as his arms had been pulled back and bound behind him, and his mouth felt incredibly dry as it had been filled with some ripped fabric, that was held in place by another cloth that Merlin could feel was tied behind his head. As he tried to move into a more comfortable position, Merlin realized that his legs were also bound, making him pretty much helpless. The worst though was the throbbing ache in his chest, the feeling that had started the moment the cold metal of the collar that was still secured around his neck had touched his skin. It felt like some huge piece of himself had been smashed inside of him, and wanted to break free of the constraints. He had a pretty good hunch what part that was, and when he tried to summon all his energy to break the chains, he realized he was right. He couldn't reach his magic. The powers that usually flowed through him so freely were currently being boxed up inside him, suppressed by the strange collar Morgana had locked around his neck. He felt like he was about to puke as his powers attempted to surge and break free, but did everything he could to stop himself. If he did, he could choke, and suffocate on his own vomit. That was definitely one of the worst ways to die possible. Then again, death might not be all that bad considering his current situation. Merlin wondered why Morgana hadn't killed him already. The last time he had seen her she had told him that she would kill him that night, but now she had created some crazy scheme to kidnap him? Hadn't she made him suffer enough?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Merlin heard something move behind him. At first he froze, hoping that if he acted like he was still asleep whoever had approached him would leave him alone. Apparently, his plan failed, as he felt a boot connect with his side and heard Morgana say, "I know you're awake, Merlin."

Merlin rolled over slowly, trying to push himself to his knees at least, so he didn't have to stare up at his captor from the ground. As he did, he felt a huge wave of dizziness sweep over him, and he almost fell back to the ground. While he moved he could feel the powers within him surge, pushing against his chest, screaming to be set free. He tried to steady himself, not wanting to appear weak in front of his enemy, and after quite a bit of swaying, Merlin was able to stay still, glaring up at Morgana.

The time spent away from Camelot had not been kind to the witch. She was no longer dressed in her colorful, silken gowns, instead wearing a black dress and cloak, both of which appeared to have been made out of tatters and were covered in dirt and debris. Her hair was no longer smooth and shiny, but filled with knots, frizzing out at the ends, and her eyes had large dark circles around them, contrasting greatly with the rest of her pale features. As Merlin stared into her cold eyes, he couldn't help but think that she might have followed her father into insanity. The cruel glint that he had seen in them so many times before was still there, but it had been joined by something else, something crazed and dangerous, possessive and angry. When Morgana broke her gaze from Merlin's, Merlin's eyes began to wander around the small camp he was currently imprisoned in. There was a fire not too far away from where he was kneeling, and across from it there was a cart. The back of the cart was facing Merlin, so he could see its contents. Morgause was lying in the cart, supported by a few dirty sacks. Her face and arm were heavily bandaged, and she was much paler than she had been the last time Merlin had seen her. He also took a small amount of pleasure in noticing that she was much thinner, and her breath seemed to be coming in short pants. It looked like she was dying, which, as she had been the cause of Arthur's almost-death, Merlin believed was just what she deserved. She appeared to be sleeping, as Morgana moved to the side of her cart, and brushed some of the stray blonde hairs away from her half-sister's face. After that she moved over to a rock lying not too far from the cart and picked up something small, holding it in her fist before moving back towards Merlin. When she was back standing in front of Merlin she thrust her palm forward, showing the small object to Merlin and asking, "Did Arthur give this to you?"

When she opened her fist, Merlin saw the ring that Arthur had placed on his finger when they had made vows to each other, near the lake. He had promised to always stay by Arthur's side (well, failed that one), and to grow old together (that one was probably out as well), and to love him until the day he died (at least he knew he would never break that promise, no matter what Morgana did, he would never stop loving Arthur). At the sight of his ring, Merlin surged forward, which was not easy with his legs bound, and ended up failing flat on his face. Morgana only laughed and moved backwards, as she watched him struggle to try to get to the ring that symbolized his feelings for Arthur, and Arthur's for him. When he figured he could still move forward by scrunching his knees up to his chest then pushing himself towards Morgana with his feet, he also discovered that his hands had not only been bound together, but secured to something else behind him. Morgana continued to laugh until Merlin gave up his struggle, collapsing in a panting heap on the ground.

"I'll take that as a yes." Morgana said with a smirk. "You two really are disgusting, you know? I wonder how much money I would get if I sold this? It is quite a beautiful ring. I suppose Arthur can afford to spoil his little pet warlock. What do you think, Merlin? Is it worth 100 gold coins? 200? Or is it really some cheap piece of junk that Arthur bought to fool you into siding with him?"

Merlin couldn't respond, of course, as the gag was still in place, preventing him from making any noise.

"Nothing to say, hmm?" Morgana said, as she began to circle around Merlin as he attempted to move back into his kneeling position. "Maybe I'll keep it, give it back to Arthur right before I kill him and take his throne. It would be fun to watch him crack when he sees the ring he gave to his precious Merlin, his precious Merlin who won't be able to save him from me when I take what is rightfully mine, and destroy the Pendragon line once and for all."

Merlin started to shake with rage. He wanted to yell at Morgana. To tell her she was insane, and that there was no way in hell she was laying a finger on Arthur. But, all he could do was sit and listen as she continued to rant on.

"You will be long dead by then, of course." Morgana said in a matter of fact way. "I may have kept you alive for now, but it won't be long. First I just need to take your powers, and unfortunately, that means I need you alive. You see, Morgause and I have been travelling while you and Arthur played 'happy family' back in Camelot. That's how I found that lovely collar your wearing. It will keep you from using your magic, so you won't be able to run. You're never going to hurt me or my sister again. I also gathered some valuable information from a tribe of people living near the northern seas. They told me that if one sorcerer consumes another completely, they will gain the powers of the one they devoured. Imagine that, Merlin! I could hold the powers of Emrys, on top of my own skill! Then I could cure Morgause, and take Camelot easily! It would almost be as if you were killing Arthur, as I use your powers to destroy the man you love. You really should have run back there, because by giving in to me you will be the cause of so many deaths, so much destruction. I will make sure every one of your friends die, starting with Arthur. His death will not be quick though, he will suffer like I have because he took what did not belong to him. Then I'll kill Gwen while her lover, Lancelot, watches and feed her mutilated body to the crows. All your knight friends will burn, one after the other, so they can hear the screams and know what is coming for them. Gaius will die last, locked away in his chambers, left to listen as he always did, turning his back on those who needed him, until he rots. After a few weeks, I will have his chambers burned, and nothing will be remembered of the old physician who once served Camelot. Hunith will die too, of course. I will send a force to Ealdor to wipe out the whole village. So many lives ended with the powers you will give me. And all of this could have been prevented, Merlin, if you had let me kill a few knights and ran when you had the chance. Instead, your powers will become mine, and I will be unstoppable."

Morgana had definitely gone insane. She must have if she believed that by eating him she would somehow gain his powers. He couldn't help but tremble as she described how she would end all of his loved ones. He was almost certain that her scheme was not going to work, you couldn't claim another's powers simply by consuming them, but still, the images she planted in his head where terrifying. He thought he could almost hear each of his friend's scream in terror as Morgana destroyed all that was precious to him. He tried to pull himself back to the present when Morgana drew out a long dagger with a jagged edge and said, "So, where do you think I should start?"

Merlin did his best to move backwards as Morgana crept towards him, the crazy glint in her eyes taking over. He continued to scoot back until he hit a tree, which seemed to be what the other end of the chain around his wrists was attached too. He didn't have time to move around the tree before Morgana was there, the dagger in her hand pressed lightly against his temple as she began to speak again.

"I don't want to kill you," She said, more to herself than to him, "Then your body would rot before I could finish, and that would just be disgusting, so I should avoid any necessary organs." The knife trialed down his face, pausing briefly at his neck, before she turned it to follow his collar bone to his right shoulder. "I could start with one of your hands, that wouldn't kill you as long as I stopped the blood flow quickly enough, but then I would have to think of a different way to restrain you, so that will have to wait." The dagger kept moving downwards, as Merlin tried to keep himself from hyperventilating. Morgana really was serious about eating him, and that was terrifying. He could only watch as the blade moved from his arms to his pelvis, and started to curve down his leg. "Maybe I should start with a foot. That way you won't be able to run, even if you do somehow manage to get out of these chains. Yes, but which one? What do you think Merlin, right or left?" The dagger jumped between his feet as Merlin tried to pull them closer to his body and out of Morgana's grasp. But, in his current position there was really very little he could do as Morgana jerked his left leg out, saying, "I think I'll start with this one." and stabbed the dagger into his calf. His cry of pain was cut off by the gag, so only a muffled grunt was able to escape him. Tears began to pour out of his eyes as Morgana slowly removed the dagger and repositioned it so she could start sawing at his leg. All he could do was cry as the blade sunk deeper and deeper into his flesh. Morgana would pause every once and a while to glance up, entranced by the pain that was clouding his eyes. Merlin did everything he could do to pull himself away from Morgana, but the collar seemed to have affected his physical state as well as his magic, leaving him weak and unable to free himself from Morgana's grip. The pain seemed to go on forever, each movement the knife made sending another jolt of agony through his body. It felt like ages before the dagger finished its journey, and Merlin's leg completely disconnected right below his knee. Morgana smiled at her work, as she pulled Merlin's left foot away from the rest of his body, leaving a only a bloody stump. Morgana set his foot down carefully, before she turned back to his leg and said, "_Þurhhæle licsar min._" There was a bright flash of light down where Merlin's leg now ended, and he felt a blinding pain as Morgana's spell cauterized the dripping wound. Apparently that pain was too much for his body, and Merlin collapsed into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Arthur could barely focus as he went about making the final preparations for the visiting nobles. His thoughts kept straying back to Merlin, praying that he was alright and trying to keep himself from thinking of every terrible situation the warlock could have gotten himself into. The sun had almost set and he was skimming over the records they had on Mora, when he was interrupted by Lancelot bursting into his chambers.

"Arthur!" the knight shouted, trying to catch his breath. It sounded as he had run all the way across the city to get to him, and the look in his eyes was causing the fear in Arthur's stomach to bubble and grow. "It's Gwaine, he's returned, and he's been injured."

Gwaine, who was supposed to be with Merlin, was back? Arthur turned to Lancelot concern obvious on his face, and said, "What! Why is he back already? Is Merlin with him? Where is he?"

"He was unconscious when he arrived, so we took him to Gaius. He showed signs of waking when I came to get you, but he had not given any reason for his quick return. And no, Arthur, Merlin isn't with him."

Arthur dropped the papers he had been holding and ran out of his chambers. Lancelot was right behind him as they rushed past confused servants and council members in their hurry to get to Gaius' chambers.

When he swung open the door of the physician's room, Arthur saw that the room was already quite full. Oswald, Gaius' assistant was trying to help Gaius care for Gwaine, who was currently lying back on the cot, without disturbing the three large knights also in the room. Percival had one of his large hands on Gwaine's shoulder, keeping him down on the bed, while Gaius treated the cut on the top of his head. Practically everyone in the room was trying to get their voice heard, sending the chambers into chaos until Arthur shouted, "STOP!"

The room fell silent, everyone turning to the king standing in the door. Gwaine's face fell and he stopped fighting Percival when he saw Arthur, which really didn't help the nervous felling in Arthur's gut.

"Gwaine," Arthur said, trying to remain as calm as possible, "what happened to you? And why are you not with Merlin?"

"I'm so sorry, Arthur." Gwaine said, his eyes locked on Arthur's, "Everything was fine, we had just reached the river Balor, when about forty men surrounded us. They were all dressed in black, and had eyes as red as blood. We were unprepared, we hadn't heard them coming at all, and they moved so quickly, like nothing I have seen before. It wasn't long before they had pulled each of us from our horses, leaving only Merlin still on his mount. I tried to fight, but it was like they felt no pain, and they were so quick I didn't have time to draw my sword before they had restrained me. I told Merlin to run, but he didn't, he just sat there, as if waiting for something. And that's all I remember. I think they knocked me out. Next thing I knew, I was being pulled off a horse and into the castle."

Arthur just stared at Gwaine, not moving a muscle. He had known there was something off about that letter, and yet he had still sent Merlin out to…who knew what! How could he have been so stupid! He turned and punched the wall, shouting, "Damn it! I shouldn't have let him go! Damn his bloody big heart!"

Arthur tried to get a handle on himself before the turned back to the men in the room. He took a deep breath and said, "Leon, send a servant to go prepare my horse, I'm going after him."

Lancelot grabbed Arthur's shoulder as he turned to march back to his chambers and get his sword so he could kill whoever had decided they could hurt his Merlin.

"You can't just rush out like that, Arthur. If they could take down Merlin, Gwaine, and the knights that went with them, they won't have a problem killing you if you try to attack them without thinking. We should wait till morning, then we can assemble a larger force and go after Merlin. We don't want anyone to hurt him, Arthur, but running to our deaths is not going to help him at all."

Arthur's fist throbbed from where he had slammed it into the wall as he listened to Lancelot's calm, reasonable speech. The knight was right, of course, but that didn't stop Arthur from hating the fact that he would have to wait to find out what had happened to Merlin.

"Fine." Arthur said, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "But I want double the guards watching tonight, and I want to be alerted immediately if there is any news. We will leave as soon as the sun rises tomorrow."

"What about the visitors from Mora?" Leon asked, sounding slightly nervous as he did.

"I DON'T CARE!" Arthur shouted, "Merlin is our priority now. Nothing else matters until he is back here, safe and sound."

"I know," Leon said, trying to sound as calming as possible, "I'm not suggesting that Merlin's safety is less important than some visiting nobles, but we are going to have to tell them something when they have travelled all the way here to find the new king gone."

"You're right." Arthur responded, trying to sound calmer than he was, "You and Elyan will remain here, if that is alright with both of you, to watch over the people and give King Henry of Mora my deepest apologies, and tell him that I will visit him personally as soon as the threat to my court has been destroyed. Gaius, will Gwaine be fit to ride out tomorrow?"

Ignoring Gwaine's shout of "Of course I will! I'm going to fix this!" Arthur turned to Gaius who said, "He should be, the blow was hard, but I do not believe he was concussed. I think he should be fine with a little food and water and a good night's sleep."

"Alright. Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival, and I, along with as many of the new knights that are willing to join us, will ride out tomorrow at first light. Gwaine will take us to where he was attacked, and we will look for any signs of what happened to Merlin there. Hopefully, some of the other knights from the group that accompanied Merlin will also be there, and might be able to shed some light on this situation. All of you, get a good night's sleep, and I will see you in the morning."

The men nodded, and Arthur left the room. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping tonight, but he went up to his room anyway, lying in the dark on the bed that felt so empty without Merlin next to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Day 3

Merlin awoke with Morgana's face inches from his own. The way she tilted her head back and forth while inspecting him was so animalistic, as if she had lost all her human traits and now was simply a predator, hungry and desperate. The dagger was also back in her hands, still red with his dried blood. Her hands had obviously been washed, as they were no longer drenched in his blood, but he could still see a small amount of red lodged beneath each fingernail. As he returned to consciousness, Merlin tried to scoot away from Morgana, only to be harshly reminded of the absence of the bottom part of his left leg, as he tried to use what was no longer there to push away from his captor. The pain hit him as well, rushing through him like fire. He felt dizzy from the blood loss, but was still supported by the tree, so at least he did not topple over. Not that he really had any dignity left, but he still wanted to remain more human than the creature crouching down to examine him.

"I don't like the way you look at me." Morgana said, sounding like a petulant child. "Like you think you're better than me. You never will be, though. No matter what Arthur does, you will always be a stinking peasant, and I will always be a queen."

Morgana had stood when she said this, glaring down at him while he continued to stare up at her. After a brief moment of mutual glaring, Morgana swept down, and pressed her knife against his cheek, right below his left eye. Merlin turned his face away as she said, "But, that can be easily remedied. Soon you won't be able to glare at me anymore."

Merlin struggled as much as he could as Morgana tried to get the dagger into position. Eventually she grew annoyed and shouted, "Stop Squirming!" and grabbed his chin, forcing Merlin to face her. Merlin squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could, hoping that might prevent her from accomplishing her goal. Unfortunately it only served to make her angry, as she pressed the tip of the knife between his left eyelids at the corner of his eye furthest from his nose, growling. Merlin shrieked in pain as the blade was driven in further, forcing its way behind his eyeball. Blood streamed down the left side of his face as Morgana continued to fiddle with the dagger, until, with a sick popping noise, she pulled his left eye out of his head. Tears poured out of his right eye as blood began to well up in the cavity that had held his left. Morgana lifted the eye up, and bit it, causing it to burst and the fluid inside to run down her chin. Her mouth curled in disgusted, but she finished it with another bite, gulping it down noisily, still crouching in front of Merlin. Apparently she wasn't done, though, as she bent down and began licking the blood off his face. When her small pink tongue probed into the hole where his eye had been, Merlin shrieked again, and faded off into unconsciousness once more.

Arthur, Lancelot, Gwaine, Percival, and about twenty other knights had barely reached the woods when they were met by the knights who had accompanied Gwaine and Merlin. Arthur disembarked and ran to them, grabbing the first he saw, Sir Anthony, by the shoulders and asked, "What happened to Merlin? Is he with you?"

"No Sire." Anthony said, keeping his eyes lowered. "Lord Merlin was taken by Morgana."

Arthur froze. That had been his worst fear. If Morgana had taken Merlin, then there was very little chance that he was still alive. Arthur tried not to panic as he turned back to the nervous-looking knight and said, "It's not your fault, just please, tell me everything that happened after Sir Gwaine was knocked out." At that Anthony glanced up, his eyes meeting Gwaine's for a brief moment before he turned his gaze back to the ground and began speaking.

"Everything was quite after Sir Gwaine was knocked unconscious by one of the men who jumped us, until Morgana came and began speaking with Lord Merlin. They made a deal, as long as he stayed calm and came to her, she would let us all go back to Camelot. Lord Merlin agreed, and put Gwaine on his horse, which was the only one left on the road. After he was certain Gwaine was secured, he whispered something to the horse, then walked to Morgana. She told him to kneel if he wanted us to go unharmed, so he did, and then she put something metal around his neck and he passed out. She left with him, using her magic to make him float along behind her. Her men didn't go though, they stayed guarding us. After a while, each of them collapsed, stone dead. We looked for a trail, some sign as to where she had taken Lord Merlin, but there was nothing. After searching for hours, we decided that we should obey Lord Merlin's last order, and we turned back."

"What was Merlin's last order?" Arthur asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"For us to go back to Camelot, tell you what happened, and that he was sorry and would love you always." Sir Anthony said, meeting Arthur's eyes for the first time since he had started speaking.

Arthur let his hands drop from Sir Anthony's shoulders, thinking about all he had said. Morgana hadn't killed Merlin right away, which might mean that he was still alive, although Arthur didn't want to think about what condition he could be in. But Merlin's last order sounded like a goodbye, like he didn't think they would ever see each other again. Well, Arthur wasn't about to just sit back and let Morgana take his love. He would fight, and do everything in his power to get Merlin back.

"Go back to Camelot. Rest, and help Leon and Elyan protect the kingdom. I will return as soon as I can." Arthur ordered Anthony and the other knights who had accompanied Merlin. They all bowed respectfully before heading back down the path towards the castle. Arthur remounted his stead and led his men further down the path, pushing his horse as fast as it could go.

When Merlin's right eye slowly fluttered open, everything was incredibly blurry. It took him a moment to clear his vision as best as he could. The hole where his left eye had been was bandaged up, but Merlin's face still felt sticky from the dried blood. As he tried to turn his head to find out where Morgana was, he realized just how weak his two wounds had left him. His neck could barely support the weight of his head which kept dropping down onto his chest as he tried to look around. He also was incredibly thirsty, and that plus the blood loss was making him quite nauseous. Merlin closed his eye, and tried to take slow, soothing breaths through his nose to calm himself and to keep him from vomiting up what little was left in his stomach. Thinking of that reminded him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast before he left Camelot. That would mean he had gone over a day without any food. He probably should have felt hungry, but at the moment, the nausea was preventing him from feeling anything but sick at the mere thought of food. He hoped the other knights had reached Camelot safely. They should be back by now, Gwaine probably would have reached the city in the night if his horse had done as he commanded, which would mean Arthur would know about his current situation. Merlin had wished he had listened to Arthur and not answered that letter. He should have trusted in the instincts of his love, and figured out it was a trap. He guessed it should have been obvious now that he looked back. The summer hadn't been too harsh in the city, how could a group of people just over a day's ride away have had it so much worse? And why hadn't they contacted him before it got to the point of desperation? Well, it was all too late now. He wondered what Arthur would do when he found out. Would he leave Camelot and go searching for him, or would he send knights out to look for him, not able to go himself as he would need to stay and watch over his people? Merlin guessed probably the second, as the visitors from Mora could not be ignored and Arthur had duties he needed to fulfill. Merlin wondered if the knights would be able to find him before he died. He had no idea where he was, besides in a forest, as he had been unconscious for the entire journey from the road to Morgana's camp.

Merlin was pulled from his thoughts by a voice. Surprisingly it wasn't Morgana's. It had been Morgause who had spoken. Merlin's eye swiveled over to look at the injured sorceress, who was awake for the first time since he had arrived in the camp.

"So Morgana's plan was a success." Morgause hissed, her voice weak, "It won't be long before I am restored to full strength now."

Merlin tried to ignore her, and started looking around the rest of the camp. There was no sign of Morgana, which was a welcomed change. She must have gone out to collect more firewood, as the pit which had been filled with flames was currently a smoldering pile of ash.

"Look at me, Emrys!" Morgause said, Merlin still doing his best to ignore her, "Look at what you reduced me to! Soon, soon, when Morgana has finished with you and I am strong once more, I will make sure your king feels all the pain I felt during these last months. I will make sure he suffers before he dies. And it will be all your fault. He could have died easily, as thanks for not restoring his father's ban on magic. But, because of what you have done, his passing will not be peaceful. His screams will be pleasure to my ears, more beautiful than the best music in the land, because I will know that with each scream your soul will be crying out as well, in sorrow for the man you once loved."

Merlin closed his eye, and wished he could block out her voice as well as her image. He tried to remember that Arthur was stronger and better protected than they planned on. Merlin hoped that even if he was gone, Kilgarrah would still protect Camelot and its king.

Wait a minute, Kilgarrah! Morgana had said the collar restricted his magic, not his dragon lord powers! He wondered if that was why they had kept him gagged. Merlin closed his eye, searching inside himself for the power that connected him to the Dragon. It took a while, but he was able to reach it while the rest of his magic bubbled inside of him, aching to burst out. He focused on that power, and the connection he shared with the last of the dragons, and called out with his mind. He waited, but there was no reply. He tried again, focusing his thoughts into the words 'help me' and 'Morgana.' It sapped him of the little energy he had left, and soon he was unable to keep a hold of the connection within him, and had to give up. There had been no response, but Merlin hoped that maybe, just maybe, that would alert Kilgarrah to his current situation, or at least let him know that something was wrong.

As Merlin exhausted himself by mentally reaching out to the Dragon, Morgana reentered the camp, her arms full of firewood which she promptly dropped at the sight of her conscious sister.

"Morgause! You're awake!" The dark-haired sorceress shouted, rushing over to the cart that held her sister, "How do you feel? I will get you some water."

Merlin watched with a small amount of jealousy as Morgana lifted a water-skin to her sister's lips, at let her drink her fill, before pulling out some soft-looking bread and breaking it into small pieces and hand feeding Morgause. Watching another eat and drink caused his hunger and thirst to amplify. Once Morgause had drank and eaten her fill, she turned to Morgana and said, "I noticed our guest over there. You did so well, my sister."

"Thank you, sister!" Morgana said with glee, "I wouldn't have been able to do it without your guidance. It won't be long now, though sister! It won't be long before I am able to use his powers to heal you!"

"Nothing will be able to stop us then." Morgause hissed, glaring at Merlin, "Tell me sister, how does he taste?"

"Ugh, he is disgusting. But it is worth it knowing what will come when I finish."

"Yes. Sometimes we must do unpleasant things to gain what we truly desire. Do you think you could take your next meal soon? I do not know how much longer I will be able to stay awake, but I would like to see Emrys suffer once more."

This had to be the strangest and most disturbing conversation Merlin had ever listened to. It seriously didn't help that they were discussing him as if he was some type of animal going in for slaughter, instead of a fellow human being.

"Of course, sister! I thought I would take his right hand next, now that he won't be able to run even if he is not chained to the tree. I had an idea about how to prepare it though, so it may take some time."

"What were you thinking?" Morgause asked, a look of morbid curiosity spreading across her face.

"Well, I need to cook the flesh before eating it anyways, why not cook it while it is still attached? I would only burn his arm, of course, but that would also keep the bleeding down when I did slice it off, as it would cauterize in the flames at the same time!" Morgana said, a cruel smile twisting its way across her face. Merlin tried to back further away from the two sisters, but didn't get too far with the chains restraining him and his injuries preventing him to move much further.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea." Morgause said with a smirk. "You might need to give him some water pretty soon, though. If you don't want him to die before you are finished."

"You are probably right." Morgana said with a huff, picking up the water-skin and moving over to where Merlin was chained. She pulled out her dagger and placed it on his throat, saying, "I'm going to take out your gag so you can drink, but it will go right back in if you say anything."

Merlin just glared back at her with his one eye as she slowly untied the knot behind his head and pulled the wad of cloth out from his mouth. Merlin gasped for air briefly before the water-skin was positioned at his mouth and he began to gulp greedily. He wasn't nearly finished when Morgana pulled it away, and he managed to get out a "This won't work, Mmpph" before the gag was stuffed back into his mouth and secured with a tight knot around the back of his head. When she had finished with that, Morgana slapped him causing the wound on his face to burn again, saying, "That's for speaking when I told you not to. You really need to learn to respect your betters."

When she had finished speaking, Morgana stood, turning back to Morgause and smiling before pilling the wood she had gathered into the fire pit and starting a large fire with a few words and a glint of gold from her eyes.

She then moved back to Merlin, who started struggling as much as he could in his current state of slight nausea from the collar and agony from his left eye and leg. His weak struggles did little to hinder Morgana as she unchained his arms and whispered a word that caused his right arm to stiffen, locked in a straight line and extended from his body. She then started to pull him towards the fire while Morgause watched, an excited glimmer in her eyes Merlin recognized from all the times she had tortured him back when Morgana had control over Camelot. He hated how frail he felt as he was dragged across the ground towards the raging fire. When Merlin was close enough to feel the heat from the flames, Morgana grabbed his shoulder and turned him so his extended right arm was forced into the fire. Merlin screamed through his gag as the two sorceresses laughed at his pain. He could smell the flesh of his arm burn, as the flames licked up his elbow. As his arm started to blister and drip, Morgana pulled it out of the flames and said, "_snid_" causing his arm to slice apart just below the joint of his elbow. Merlin could barely tell what was causing the pain he felt as a huge part of his right arm fell to the forest floor and the rest was thrust back into the flames, sealing over the bleeding wound with blisters and scabs. Being subjected to the flames a second time proved to be more than Merlin could bare, as he collapsed, pulling his stump of a right arm free from Morgana's grasp and slipping into darkness once more.

The next time Merlin awoke, it was dark. He had been awoken by the terrible pain from each of his wounds. As he slowly moved his gaze across the camp he saw that he had been moved back to the tree, and that both his captors were asleep. As his wrists could no longer be bound together, the chains had been wrapped around his entire body and the tree, keeping his left arm down away from his face. The pain was unendurable. His stump of a right arm and left leg throbbed constantly, and prevented him from moving at all. He felt incredibly dizzy, and only being able to use one eye definitely wasn't helping that. He began to wonder if there was some way he could end this before Morgana got a chance to. He could refuse to drink next time Morgana offered, possibly ending his life a little sooner, but he really was pretty much helpless. The pain prevented him from focusing on anything but the constant throbbing of his burned and bloodied body. He felt so broken. Like a doll that had grown old and had begun to fall apart, loosing not only its limbs but the love of the one who had played with it. In a brief moment of clarity, Merlin's thoughts strayed to Arthur. What would the man he loved think if he saw him like this? Would Arthur still love him, even though he was so completely destroyed, or would he be disgusted by his broken and mutilated body? He had told Arthur he would be fine, that he would be able to protect himself from any dangers that lurked on his path, and he had failed, spectacularly. Thinking of the man he loved, Merlin curled into himself as best as he could while bound to the tree, and silently cried himself back to sleep.

Arthur and his knights reached the scene of attack by midday. Arthur had been silent the entire ride, all his thoughts focused on finding Merlin. When they reached the curve of the road where Merlin and his escort had been jumped, Arthur could hardly believe his eyes. Even after hearing the story from Sir Anthony, seeing forty dead men lying in their path was incredibly disturbing. It didn't help that none of the men showed any sign of a mortal wound, and all were staring up at the sky with the same blank, dead eyes. The entire troop fell silent as they took in the gruesome scene. After a brief moment Arthur focused on his current task, turning his thoughts away from the dead men, and shouted to his men, "Spread out, and look for any signs of Morgana or Merlin moving away from here. If you find them, do not attack on your own. Come back here, we will all meet back here when the sun begins to set, and discuss what we have found. Stay in groups of two or three, and watch each other's backs."

The men nodded before splitting up into smaller groups and heading out into the surrounding woods. Arthur ended up with Gwaine, who was probably the only knight working harder than Arthur to find Merlin. Arthur wondered if the knight blamed himself for their current situation, and was working extra hard as a form of repentance. Gwaine had been exceptionally quiet, which was strange for the normally rowdy knight. Arthur didn't question him, glad of his enthusiasm, as they continued searching, moving further and further from the battle but finding nothing.

When the shadows started to lengthen, Arthur knew they needed to head back. He hoped that one of the other groups had been more successful than him and Gwaine had been, but he doubted it. Morgana would have known that he would come looking for Merlin, and had probably been extremely careful about concealing her tracks. When Arthur told Gwaine they needed to head back, he received only a growl in response, but the knight did turn back, moving quickly towards the place Arthur had instructed the knights to meet up.

They were one of the last groups to arrive, and Arthur could tell by the looks on all the other knight's faces that they had found no sign of Merlin or anyone else. Arthur felt hopeless as he tried to think of what his next move should be. Morgana could have taken Merlin anywhere, using her magic, and they had no clues as to where he could be. And, if they delayed by searching the wrong part of the forest, Merlin could end up dead. It had already been a day and a half since Morgana would have taken Merlin, which was plenty of time for his half sister to cause a great deal of harm to his love.

Arthur had been lost in his thoughts when one of his men shouted in surprise. The sudden noise pulling him from his thoughts, Arthur looked out to see who had caused the noise, eager to take out a small amount of his frustration at whoever had deemed it a good idea to interrupt his increasingly depressing thoughts. But, his anger dissipated immediately when Arthur saw what had caused the knight to shout in alarm. A large creature was approaching them from the skies, a creature that looked suspiciously like a dragon…

"Kilgarrah!" Arthur shouted, hoping to draw the beast's attention if it had not already seen them. Arthur jumped onto his horse and began racing toward the flying shape, hoping that he hadn't been mistaken and it really was the Great Dragon flying towards them. He really didn't have time to deal with whatever other magical creature decided to attack him or his men, and Kilgarrah could help them find Merlin, so, as Arthur rushed towards the creature, he prayed his intuition was right, and that he was about to gain an ally who could turn the tables in his search for Merlin.

As they approached each other, Arthur realized that he had been right, as two glowing golden eyes became visible in the dark sky. The Dragon seemed to have spotted him as well, and was moving towards the ground. He landed about thirty paces in front of Arthur, who had jumped off his horse, as the poor beast did not seem too fond of the much larger Dragon.

"Young Pendragon" the Dragon called out, "Merlin is in trouble!"

"I know" Arthur replied, "Morgana has him. Can you contact him? Find out where he is?"

"I cannot contact him, I have tried. But I can find him. As the last of our kinds, we share a connection that can guide me to his current location. I have to warn you, Young Pendragon, I do not know what condition he will be in when I do. He is weak, and has suffered greatly. You must prepare yourself for the worst."

Arthur could only nod at this. Kilgarrah's words sent a chill through him. He had known it was almost impossible that they would find Merlin unharmed, but hearing that from the Dragon confirmed his fears that his love was in grave danger.

"I will lead you to Merlin." Kilgarrah said, "Go back to your men, and follow me, but be careful, even alone, the witch is strong. Merlin will not thank you if you injure yourself trying to save him."

"I know," Arthur said, "but I have to bring him home."

"That is true, Arthur, that is true. I will light your way to him. Together, we can save the Young Warlock."

Arthur nodded and turned to walk back to his horse, while Kilgarrah took off. As Arthur saddled up, he watched the Dragon fly across the night sky, only a dark shadow on a darker background. He wondered how the Dragon expected them to be able to follow him, but he question was answered as Kilgarrah let out a burst of flames, a beacon showing him which direction to go. Arthur nudged his horse, turning it towards the light, and began galloping after the Dragon, his men close behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Day 4

Arthur and his knights followed the Dragon throughout the night. As the sun began to rise, and Kilgarrah no longer had to send out streams of fire to be sure Arthur could still follow him, the Dragon stopped, landing once more. Arthur ran up to talk to the beast, trying to quench the fears of what it stopping could mean. Would the connection break if Merlin was dead? Arthur shook the thought from his head, and approached the Dragon, asking, "Why have you stopped? Is Merlin near?"

"Yes, the Young Warlock is just beyond those hills." Kilgarrah said, pointing over a nearby ridge with his snout. "I think it would be best if I remain here for the time being, if I get any closer the witch will notice my presence and her guard will go up. I don't know what she will do if she realizes she is no longer alone, so please be careful. You have the element of surprise; use that to your advantage."

Arthur nodded, and turned back to his men who were all waiting for him, a few paces behind where he had stood when he spoke with the Dragon.

"We are close now," Arthur said, "Merlin and Morgana are just beyond those hills. We need to use her ignorance of our presence to our advantage, stay quiet, and encircle her camp. We will charge her together, on my signal. Merlin is our priority, we find him and get him out alive at all costs, even if that means letting Morgana get away, understand?"

The men nodded, and dismounted, following their king up over the hills, in the direction the Dragon had indicated. When they reached the top of the ridge, Arthur heard small noises, and smelled smoke, indicating that the Dragon had been correct, and there was a camp not far ahead of them. Motivated by his proximity to his love, Arthur moved faster, using hand motions to signal to his men, telling them to spread out and stay silent as they moved forward.

It wasn't long before Arthur noticed a break in the trees not too far ahead of him. While he couldn't see anyone in that clearing, he heard Morgana's voice, making his blood run cold as she said, "You should see yourself, Merlin. You look terrible. I wonder what Arthur would say? He would probably be disgusted by you, can't see how anyone wouldn't be."

Arthur felt a wave of anger sweep through him, as he crept closer. Nothing she could have done to Merlin would make him feel that way! He could see Morgana, but he couldn't see Merlin yet. Arthur decided it would be best if he waited a bit longer, to make sure the camp was surrounded before he made his move, so he stayed in a crouched position, slowly edging forward and listened to his half-sister.

"I never did understand what he saw in you. Guinevere was lovely; it seemed natural that he would fall for her, with her heaving bosoms and supple curves, but you? You're all skin and bones, you're awkward and clumsy, and your ears! Ears that would look large on a rabbit! Maybe Arthur likes those, hmm? Likes to tug on them while you lie together, in my castle! Maybe we should see what you look like with only one?"

Arthur froze for a second as the full meaning of Morgana's words swept over him. Was she going to cut one of Merlin's ears off? No. She wouldn't. But then he saw a glint of silver as Morgana pulled out a knife, and began to move towards the part of the clearing that was currently blocked from Arthur's view, and all plans and strategies slipped from Arthur's mind. All that matter was stopping Morgana from hurting Merlin, stopping her from using that blade to do unspeakable things to his love. Arthur was springing forward before he even realized it, drawing his sword and lunging into the clearing. Morgana barely had time to turn towards him before his sword was lodged in her stomach, blood trickling down from the wound. But Arthur wasn't worried about her now, all that mattered was Merlin, so he pulled his blade out of her, and pushed the limp body aside. One of the other knights could deal with her, he had more important things to worry about.

It wasn't until Morgana fell that he saw Merlin. He was chained to a tree, and it looked like the only thing preventing him from falling to the ground were the chains that held him. Arthur felt his knees give as he took in the broken form of his love. Merlin was missing the bottom half of his left leg and right arm. His face was covered in blood that seemed to have come from underneath a bandage that had been wrapped around his left eye. The clothes he had had made for him were covered in blood, dirt, and burns in the case of the right sleeve. Arthur looked into Merlin's uncovered right eye, and he saw so much pain. There were tears leaking from it, washing tracks of blood off his face. It took Arthur a second to regain control over his limbs and crawl forward to where Merlin was. He quickly removed the gag, before turning to work on the chains that held him to the tree.

"Don'…. look… a'… me…."

Arthur froze. He had been busy breaking the chains with the sword he had pulled from the stone so long ago, that he had almost missed Merlin's quiet voice. Arthur turned from his current task, his sword abandoned by the side of the tree, as he moved back to cradle Merlin's bloody face in his hands.

"Merlin, it's ok. I'm going to get you out of here. Everything is going to be just fine."

Merlin wasn't looking at him, even as Arthur held his head up from his chest. After a moment of silence, Merlin's mouth moved again, slowly, as if he was remembering how to speak, and he said, "I'm… dis..gus..ting."

Arthur felt his hatred towards Morgana stir again, and he wished he hadn't already killed her, so he could make her suffer for what she had done to his love.

"No, Merlin. No you are not. You are beautiful. And I love you. Nothing could every change that. You are beautiful because you have such a big heart that you chose to risk your own life instead of risking the lives of your friends. You are beautiful because you care so much for our people that you spend all your free time working to make more of them smile. And you are beautiful because you loved me even after I hunted people like you, even though I could never be worthy of your beautiful smile, of your love, of your big, beautiful heart. So you are not disgusting. Don't listen to a word anyone says against that, Merlin. You will always be beautiful to me."

Merlin nodded slowly, but the tears didn't stop. The other knights had apparently rushed into the clearing after Arthur had charged, even if he hadn't "given the signal" or whatever it was he had said he would do. As Arthur looked behind him he saw a few men checking to make sure Morgana was dead, while another group inspected the broken figure of Morgause in the cart. Percival had picked up his sword and had continued his work on the chains holding Merlin, while Lancelot and Gwaine had joined Arthur crouching next to Merlin.

"I'm so sorry." Gwaine said, tears in his eyes, "I was supposed to protect you."

"S'not… your… fault." Merlin mumbled, his eye trying to focus on Gwaine while his head rested in Arthur's hands.

"Morgana and Morgause are dead!" a voice from behind Arthur called out, but he didn't care. All that mattered was Merlin. As Percival finished cutting the chains, Lancelot and Gwaine moved to his sides to keep the warlock from falling over without their support. As Merlin shifted slightly, Arthur noticed that there was a metal loop locked around his neck, that seemed to have burned the skin underneath. Arthur figured it must have had some properties that kept Merlin's powers restrained, because otherwise Morgana would have never been able to hold him. Arthur had seen the full extent of Merlin's powers, and there was no way Morgana could have done all this to him without some way to keep his powers in check. Arthur touched it lightly, but even that made Merlin flinch in pain. It didn't seem to have any lock, so Arthur removed one hand from Merlin's face, and said, "Percival, hand me my sword."

Percival obeyed without question, passing the beautiful sword to Arthur who raised it to Merlin's chin. He was about to cut the collar, using one hand to hold the sword the other to keep Merlin's chin raised so he wouldn't accidently hurt him more, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What the devil do you think you're doing?" Gwaine shouted.

"I have to remove the collar, Gwaine! Can't you see it's hurting him?" Arthur replied. He wanted to get away from this camp. Get Merlin as far from here as possible. But he also wanted to make sure Merlin was as safe as possible before they moved him, and right now Gwaine wasn't helping him accomplish that. Gwaine released his arm when he saw the loop of metal around Merlin's neck, moving back to his position at Merlin's side. Arthur raised his blade again, and ever so carefully cut through the metal, and only the metal. He then tilted Merlin's head forward, and made a similar cut at the back of Merlin's neck, causing the collar to break into two half-circles and fall to the ground. As it broke apart, Merlin let out a long sigh, releasing a long stream of golden, shining lights along with it. A smile spread across the warlock's face, as the lights danced and shimmered and his eyes glowed gold as his powers were finally released. Arthur returned to his position in front of Merlin just in time to see the gold fade from his eyes. The smile remained though, as Merlin whispered, "Than'… you."

Arthur smiled back, glad to see that he was at least able to bring a small amount of relief to his love before he thought about what they would need to do next.

"Merlin," Arthur said hesitantly, "I'm going to have to move you. Kilgarrah is waiting for us, not too far, but I will have to carry you to him. It's going to hurt to move, but we need to get you back to Camelot."

Merlin nodded and clenched his jaw, as Arthur moved his arms underneath his love, relieving Gwaine and Lancelot from their duties of supporting him and gently pulling him up from the ground. Merlin let out a small grunt of pain as his injured limbs were jostled by the motion, but Arthur was happy to see the tears had stopped. As the group slowly and carefully moved back through the forest to the Dragon, Arthur thought about how Merlin would probably never be able to walk again. He wondered if he would have to find someone else to fulfill the position of court sorcerer, now that Merlin was so incapacitated. The thoughts felt so wrong, but he couldn't stop them from pouring into his mind. Merlin would need help to do so much now. Arthur wondered what he would do if he lost a leg and an arm. He wouldn't be able to fight, to protect his people. He felt so terrible for what his love must be going through, and hoped that Merlin knew that he would never leave his side, no matter what. When they reached the Dragon, the great beast moved to Merlin's side, and placed his head next to Merlin's, a look of great sadness in his eyes. "I am so sorry, Young Warlock. You have suffered so much." He then puffed out a stream of gold that enveloped Merlin, and concentrated on the areas in which he had been injured. Merlin's whole body glowed for a second, before the lights faded, and Merlin's eye closed slowly.

"What did you do?" Arthur asked, holding Merlin's still form.

"Do not fear, Young King, I just used my powers to ease his pain, and let him rest. He is merely asleep. Sadly, that is all I can do. There may be some who can do more, if we move quickly." Kilgarrah said, moving so Arthur could climb onto his back.

Arthur nodded, and moved to position the sleeping Merlin on the Dragon's back before turning back to his knights and saying, "I will go with the Dragon to help Merlin. I want you to all ride back to Camelot, and tell the people there what happened here. We shall be back soon."

The knights nodded, watching silently as Arthur climbed onto the Dragon's back behind Merlin, and the beast took off.

* * *

Arthur was starting to wish Kilgarrah hadn't put Merlin to sleep. Even if it eased his pain, it made it much more terrifying to fly with him. Arthur made sure he didn't shift, and the Dragon flew slower and more gently than he usually did. Luckily, it wasn't long before they landed, and Arthur was able to pull Merlin from Kilgarrah's back. Apparently the spell had faded enough that Merlin was beginning to regain consciousness, and he looked groggily up at Arthur as Arthur asked the Dragon, "Where are we?"

"The Lake of Avalon." Kilgarrah replied. "This is a sacred place, Arthur, and the powers that dwell here might be able to restore Merlin's missing pieces."

Arthur nodded, awestruck by the serene beauty of the lake. Distant mountains reflected in its calm waters, the only noise coming from a small breeze blowing though the surrounding trees. "What do I need to do?"

The Dragon looked out over the waters before returning his gaze to Arthur and saying, "Take off his clothes and bandages, and take him into the waters. If they are able, the spirits that live here will help him."

Arthur followed Kilgarrah's instructions, removing the clothing that had been slightly destroyed by Morgana. Merlin remained silent, focusing on the lake itself, until Arthur moved his hands up to the bandage around his face. Merlin hissed in pain as Arthur slowly pealed the bandage off, revealing the bloody hole where there should have been an eye.

"How could she do this?" Arthur whispered, more to himself than to Merlin. Merlin didn't answer still focused on the lake. Arthur removed his own jacket, shirt, and boots, before picking up the now-naked Merlin and carrying him into the waters. As soon as Merlin's toes hit the surface, the water began to shimmer and glow, moving around Merlin's body. Arthur watched in amazement and continued to carry Merlin further into the waters. When he was up to his waist and Merlin was almost completely submerged, a woman rose out of the waters. She was young, but probably not too much younger than Merlin or himself, and she was pretty. Her face was soft, kind, but she also looked nervous, and slightly frightened of him. A sad smile spread across her face as Merlin whispered a word that sounded like "Freya" and reached his good hand out towards her. The woman grasped his hand, tears sliding down her checks. Arthur glared at her, pulled Merlin back to his chest and asked, "Who are you?"

This caused Merlin to glare at him briefly before returning his attention to the girl in front of them.

"My name is Freya." The girl said, "And I am here to help you, Arthur Pendragon. Merlin was kind to me when no one else was, and I will do everything I can to repay that favor. This lake is a gateway to Avalon, so the magic here is strong and spirits that usually would not be able can cross into your world at this point. The Vilia are helping him now, using their powers to give back what was taken. I can do little to help but I am glad I have the chance to see him once more."

"It is good to see you, Freya." Merlin said, his voice sounding much stronger than it had since they had taken him from the camp. Arthur looked down at the man in his arms, amazed to see how much of a change had already occurred. The glowing water seemed to be doing him wonders, as his arm and leg grew back, and he was now watching Freya with not one eye but two. As Merlin moved his arm so he was cupping Freya's check, Arthur made a mental not to learn more about this girl and what she meant to Merlin once they got back to Camelot.

"I cannot stay much longer, Merlin." Freya said, before turning back to Arthur, "Take care of him. He saved me, he made me feel loved when even I could not love myself. There is no other like him. Make sure he is always loved and cared for."

Arthur nodded at Freya, and said, "I will" as she faded, joining the mists that hung over the still waters. As she faded, the glow surrounding Merlin faded as well, and Arthur looked down to see Merlin was whole once again, although tears had begun to fall down his face again as he stared out across the lake.

"I think it's time we get back to Camelot, don't you?" Arthur said, as he turned back to the shore.

Merlin nodded and turned his gaze back up to Arthur, saying "Thank you so much, Arthur. I was sure I was going to die back there, but you saved me, and you made me feel whole again even when I thought I never would be. I love you so much, my king, and I promise nothing will ever be able to stop that, not even death."

"You don't need to thank me, Merlin." Arthur said, "I don't think I would be able to live without you. I am never letting you out of my sight again, do you understand me? I'm considering getting you a leash, in case you ever try to leave my side again, I don't care who needs your help."

Merlin just laughed softly and smiled up at Arthur as they made their way back to the shore, where Arthur helped Merlin back into his torn and dirtied clothes. As he pulled the coat back on he noticed there was something missing from Merlin's fingers. Merlin noticed the look of concern on his face and looked up at him, a sad expression on his face as he said, "Morgana took my ring, I tried to get it back, but, well, you saw how it was. I didn't get too far. I'm sorry. I should have taken better care of it."

"Merlin, don't worry about the ring. It's not a big deal. We will get another one, and we can go back to that lake in celebration of you returning to full health, how does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you Arthur."

"Like I said, you don't need to thank me Merlin. I'm happy just knowing you're alright." Arthur said, laying the fully-clothed Merlin down so he could put his own boots and shirt back on. When he was done, and he went back to pick up Merlin, Merlin shakily pushed himself up to meet him, and pressed their lips together. Arthur quickly moved his hand around Merlin's back to take some of his weight off his new arm, but didn't break the kiss. They stayed like that for quite some time, both of them just so happy that they were able to kiss once more, before the Dragon let out a snort and Arthur pulled back quickly.

"I can't believe I had to go almost three days without kissing you." Arthur said, smiling down at Merlin.

"I can't believe you hadn't kissed me earlier, I was beginning to worry." Merlin replied, a cheeky grin on his face.

"You were injured! I was a bit distracted, which I think is understandable."

Would you two stop arguing!" Kilgarrah shouted. "Contrary to your beliefs, I do have much better things to do than listen to you two yammer all day."

Merlin laughed, "I guess we should wait till we're back in Camelot to continue this. Don't want an angry dragon on our hands."

"No you do not." Kilgarrah agreed. "I will take you as close to Camelot as I can, but then I expect you to leave me alone for quite some time. It would be nice if you could make it a year or so without getting into mortal danger."

"We'll try our best." Arthur replied sarcastically before pulling Merlin up and helping him climb on the Dragon. Although his limbs had miraculously returned to him, they still seemed to be quite weak, and Merlin still looked quite a bit paler than he usually did, so Arthur kept a hold of him while they flew back to their home.

* * *

Kilgarrah dropped them off in a clearing not too far from the city gates. Arthur insisted on carrying Merlin the rest of the way, even though Merlin argued that he was totally capable of walking by himself. When they entered the city, they were greeted enthusiastically by all the knights and people who had gathered around the city gates when they saw their King and Court Sorcerer returning. The knights who had seen Merlin in the camp were amazed to see that he now had all his limbs back, and that he seemed so much more lucid than he had earlier. Guinevere, escorted by a very protective Lancelot and Elyan, made her way through the crowds to hug them both, which proved slightly awkward with her large stomach and the way Arthur was carrying Merlin. Percival, Gwaine and Leon eventually calmed the people down enough to let them form a pathway for Arthur and Merlin to move through so they could reach the castle. Gaius was waiting for them at the castle steps, a look of relief on his face as he saw that Merlin was whole and smiling at him as they approached. Arthur led him, Lancelot, Guinevere, Elyan, Percival, Gwaine, and Leon up to his and Merlin chambers, stopping only to ask a maid to bring food and water to his chambers, depositing Merlin on their large, soft bed. Gaius then proceeded to check Merlin over, and announced that he needed a good amount of rest, food and water, but all of his other injuries seemed completely better. The group celebrated for a moment, and the maid returned with a jug of water and some bread, soup, fruit, meats and cheeses that she laid out on the table. After she left, they all settled around the bed to hear what had happened to Merlin. Merlin looked slightly nervous at first, before he described his capture by Morgana, and how she had planned on eating him, as she believed that by doing so she would gain his powers. Everyone in the room was disgusted as he spoke, shocked at the thought of anyone believing something so completely insane. It was silent for a moment, before Percival spoke up, saying, "Did she really believe that could work?"

"It certainly seemed so." Merlin replied. "Apparently she met a tribe in the north told her that it would work. That's why she didn't kill me right away. She believed she would have to consume all of me, and didn't want to have to eat rotten meat."

Guinevere and Gaius looked as if they would be sick, while the knights all looked like they were about ready to punch something.

"I swear" Gwaine growled, "if she wasn't already dead, I would make her life a very painful one."

"Don't." Merlin replied, his hand grasping a hold of Gwaine's, "She's gone. And even before she was it was easy to see she had lost her mind. Hating her now will do us no good. We need to move on, focus on making a better world, so no one ever becomes so twisted by hatred again."

Gwaine nodded, stunned by Merlin's words. There was another brief moment of silence, while all the people in the room stared at Merlin in amazement, before Gaius cleared his throat and said, "I think we should leave Merlin to rest, he has been through enough today."

The rest of the occupants of the room nodded, and slowly moved out of the room, glancing back at Merlin and Arthur with relieved smiles on their faces. When they were all gone, Arthur turned back to Merlin and asked, "Is there anything I can get you? Food, water, more blankets?"

"Some water would be nice." Merlin said, "And maybe a bit of that soup."

Arthur nodded, walking over to the table the servants had put the food he requested on before leaving silently while the group had been listening to Merlin. He came back to the bed, holding a goblet filled with water and the soup bowl back over to the bed. Arthur started with the water, helping Merlin to hold the cup, making sure it didn't spill while he drank. When Merlin was done with that, he insisted on hand feeding him the soup, even though Merlin rolled his eyes at him while he did. When Merlin had finished the soup, his eyes started to drift close, and Arthur pulled the blankets tight around his love, before changing into clean clothes and joining him under the sheets, holding Merlin to his chest to make sure he knew, even in his sleep, he was finally safe.

**Told you I would get it up in a day! Well, that's all for this story. Hope it wasn't to disturbing...**

**Anyhoo, I will get a move on with the story I said I would write next, I swear. It's taking me a bit because I wrote a whole lot of stuff that I really like, and then realized that it's not going to work at all. So, I'm trying to figure out if there is a way I can salvage it at all, or if I'm going to have to start over. And I do have more of the edited Rise of Emrys, that will be going up soon. Not big changes, mostly small grammatical things though.**

**Thanks for reading! Hopefully I will be back again soon!**


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